


In the Midst of Things

by raz0rgirl



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universes, Gen, Hydra (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-08-05
Packaged: 2018-02-11 20:16:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2081712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raz0rgirl/pseuds/raz0rgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A mishap with a HYDRA device shows Skye her life in other worlds.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Midst of Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paraka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paraka/gifts).



> This takes place post Season 1 of _Agents of SHIELD_ , but this should make sense without having seen it.

Skye registers her mistake a second too late, and the hell of it is that she was actually following the rules this time. After the fall of SHIELD and after Ward, she knows the value of a certain kind of caution. She hadn’t known what she was touching when she’d somehow opened a hidden panel on what she’d thought was a normal mainframe access station. Now she’s bathed in light, which, frankly feels a bit excessive. Leave it to HYDRA to show off for no reason. She knows she’s connected to something, but there’s nothing like a command line or a button inviting a click. No screen. Just an interface directly with her mind.

She tries to call for help, but she can’t make her voice work. The part of her that’s always curious can only think, _holy shit, how is this happening?_ But most of her is terrified.

The light is getting still brighter when someone else realizes her distress. Skye can see Jemma reach for her and see Trip hold Jemma back, but Skye can’t hear what they’re saying. There’s a sensation of pressure that should be a roaring in her ears but only envelops her in silence. 

The light and pressure build to all she knows. Then there’s nothing. And then there’s something else.

***

She’s in the woods, running, when the Summons comes. It’s in the form of a glowing sigil hanging in the air before her and burns like the bluest part of a fire. She knows only she or others like her are able to see it. Her pursuers are still close enough behind to catch up with her, but Skye knows better than to hesitate. The one positive thing about this turn of events is she now has license to use that which would allow her to escape the royal guards who are so keen on taking her to a joke of a trial and a punishment of a lifetime of servitude. It is forbidden to use her arcane knowledge to hide from the consequences of her thievery, but with the Summons, she is within her rights to use whatever power she has available to answer the Call. Skye stands still and gathers the magic she needs like a cloak around her body. She waits, counting her heartbeats and slow intakes of breath for long enough for the guards and their dogs to rush past her. Then she turns to follow the flaming image of an eagle deeper into the woods.

The eagle leads her to a clearing. Others have already gathered, forming a circle. A woman wearing a full cloak covered in embroidered flowers stands in the center of the circle. She meets Skye’s eyes as soon as Skye joins the others.

“The last of us is here,” the woman says. “It’s time to begin.”

Skye takes the hands of the people to either side of her, as does everyone else in the circle.

The woman raises her hands and turns slowly, looking at everyone as she calls out, “I am Raina the Clairvoyant, and you are all sworn Sisters of the Shield, protectors of the realm. I have Seen that our lands, our _home_ is in danger, and your service is required.”

Raina stops her turn when she stands facing Skye.

“You are Skye,” Raina says, and it’s not a question.

Skye answers, “I am,” all the same.

Raina nods and says, “You are known to us as She Who Uncovers Secrets. We must expose the threat that we face before we can defeat it, and to do that, we need your talent.”

“What do you need me to do?” Skye asks.

“We need you to Reveal what I know is there but cannot fully see.”

Skye takes a deep breath, then nods and starts to gather the magic to her again. This time, instead of concealing herself, she turns her power outward, casting as far as she can. It’s a powerful spell affecting all of her senses. But it’s limited in range and won’t be enough for what Raina has called her to do.

As soon as she thinks this, she feels the boost. Her magic is strong. Her magic bolstered by the others in the circle is more than she’d ever dreamed. She takes their collected power and casts to cover the whole kingdom. 

It’s glorious. She revels in the freedom to do this and the knowledge that she does so for a greater good.

She loses track of how much time passes when she feels the presence at the edge of her awareness. The feeling ripples through the circle, and Skye feels another of the Sisters add a layer of protection to their spell. The thing starts to take shape. She has the sense of beast large enough to tower over the largest house. As it takes full shape in her mind, she gets the sense of five heads turning in unison to look at her in return.

It’s all she can do to keep from dropping the spell, but then she feels Raina add an offensive push. They’re all bathed in light, and Skye knows that whatever the beast turns out to be, they’ll be able to bring it down together.

***

The light fades, and she’s seeing and hearing Jemma speaking calmly but forcefully.

“I don’t know what it is about her physiology that’s protecting her, but she should be dead.”

Skye can’t hear the other side of the conversation, but she can guess what was said when Jemma replies, “What do you think I’m trying to do? Of course I’m working on getting her out of this…whatever it is. But I have to figure out how to turn it off without harming Skye first. In the meantime, the rest of you should stay away.”

“Hey,” Skye says, and Jemma jumps.

“Skye!” Jemma says, then, “yes, she’s responding,” into the communicator.

“What’s going on?” Skye asks. “What is this thing?”

“I don’t know,” Jemma says. “Trip is looking for its power source, but we need to know if it’s safe for you if we turn it off.”

“Turn it off,” Skye says, insistent.

“Tell me what you’re experiencing,” Jemma says.

“It’s like I’m stepping into another life. I’m aware that it’s a different life, but it’s still me. Just a very different me. It’s almost as if I’m an observer who’s only along for the ride. I can’t do anything about what I’m seeing.”

Skye’s about to say more when the light starts up again. She can only get out a quiet, “No,” before the world shifts around her.

***

The show’s been over for an hour, but Skye’s still high from the roar of the crowd.

_Everything_ was on tonight, from the band to the dancing to the ten thousand voices singing along. It’s the best rush she’s ever felt, and it’s still hard to believe that this is her life.

It’s after midnight, and she may have just given her best ever performance, but her night is just getting started. Skye laughs.

“What’s so funny?” Trip asks, turning to look at her for a moment before putting his eyes back on the road.

“Antoine Triplett, I am _unstoppable_ ,” Skye says. As she says it, they drive by an electronic billboard that turns to the poster from her current tour. Skye points back at the billboard and says, “See!” before dissolving into more giggles.

The Rising Tide tour is such a massive production that there’s always space between dates. They still call the tour travel The Bus even though there’s far more than one bus now. She remembers driving from showcase to showcase in a rental van not three years ago. Now she’s a one-name sensation selling out mid-size stadiums and only getting bigger.

It’s a lot to handle. That so many people depend financially upon the fact that a large segment of the population is willing to pay to see her put on a huge show while singing pop songs sometimes makes it feel like her life isn’t her own. It once got to the point where Skye almost gave it up. It was Trip who gave her a way to make it work.

Trip’s been her producer since her breakthrough album, and he’s usually the first one who hears the songs she’s working on. When she started making EDM tracks as a break from her regular music, it was Trip who suggested she get a Soundcloud account and start sharing her music. And thus, DJ 8-0-4 was born. 

When, to her surprise, her electronic music gained enough of a following that she started getting invitations to DJ in clubs, it was Trip who figured out how to make DJ performances work while keeping her identity a secret. It’s her favorite outlet, and she loves that she gets to have the smaller crowds as well as the stadium shows.

They arrive at the club where she’s been contracted to play another artist’s after party. She reaches into the bag in the back seat and puts on her mask. It’s a porcelain doll’s face with a domino mask painted on, the face framed by a cascade of pink curls.

“Geez, that thing is _creepy_ ,” Trip says, as they get out of the car.

“Seriously, are you going to say that _every_ time?” Skye asks. “This was your idea.”

“Performing in _disguise_ was my idea. This,” he waves in her direction, “is all on you.”

“I get it,” Skye says. “The doll thing sketches you out.”

“On multiple levels, my dear. I get the mask thing, but why do you have to look like a comic book nightmare?”

“God bless Daft Punk, right?” Skye says with a laugh. “Making it safe for DJs to perform in disguise almost as long as I’ve been alive.”

“Holy shit, I’m getting old,” Trip says as he hauls gear out of the trunk and the two of them cart the gear to the side entrance of the club.

Skye knows this is going to end one day. Some paparazzo will figure out that the most mysterious up-and-coming EDM artist since Burial is actually Skye the pop star, but she’ll take this for as long as she can. 

She sets up in the DJ booth, then gets started. She mixes tracks, both her originals and a host of other music. The crowd’s into it, and she decides to drop the new thing she’s been working on for her sets. The blend is subtle at first, and it takes a while to for them to notice. But then the crowd roars with approval and Trip cheers from the side of the stage when the drop reveals the chorus to “Playground,” the biggest hit from her Rising Tide album.

The lights flash in time with the music, and the crowd’s cheers roll over Skye like a wave.

***

She knows she’s back when she hears Jemma again.

“Readings indicate similar signatures to Asgardian and other alien tech, but through a much more limited filter. In all honesty, it looks like HYDRA was trying to engineer something similar to alien technologies we’ve seen, but with the limitations we’ve all had of never really understanding how these things actually work. It’s a combination of, for a lack of a better term, occult energies and quantum computing, neither of which HYDRA should have access to. The power at play here—it’s astounding.”

“Believe me,” Skye says. “I’d love to hear the whole breakdown. You can technobabble to your heart’s content. Just get me out of this thing.”

“Skye!” Jemma says, “You’re back.”

Skye says, “For now. How close are you to getting me out of this thing?”

“I’m trying,” Jemma says, and Skye says, “I know.”

“The machine seems to be tethering you to this universe, Skye. Your consciousness is apparently being stretched into other universes, then pulled back, like stretching a rubber band between two fingers and letting it go once you’ve pulled it as far as it will let you. These moments between—you’re being snapped back, then pulled in another direction. We don’t know what’s pulling you or why.”

As the light comes back, Skye says, “I know you’ll figure it out,” and hopes Jemma was able to hear her.

***

Skye pauses to collect herself before knocking on the office door. To say that Commander May is difficult to impress would define understatement. Being late is not the way to go about it. Unfortunately, showing up out of breath and getting reprimanded for sprinting through the halls doesn’t work well, either.

Skye opens the door at Commander May’s brisk, “Enter.”

The commander is seated at her desk. “You may sit,” she says when Skye crosses the threshold into her office.

May is known to stand on ceremony, so it’s a surprise when she ignores the greetings and offers of refreshments with which a formal meeting should begin, even with someone as minor in the hierarchy as Skye. 

Instead, May asks, “My understanding is that you’ve recently completed your novitiate examinations, correct?”

There’s no way that May doesn’t know this—or, unlike Skye, know how Skye scored on her exams.

“That is correct, Commander,” Skye says anyway.

“And what specialization do you plan pursue?” May asks.

“Data analysis,” Skye says, without hesitation. 

May nods, then stands. “Walk with me,” she says and doesn’t wait for Skye before walking out of her office. Skye stands to follow her, and they walk down the opposite side of the hallway from the one Skye came through to get to May’s office. They enter a lift. When May chooses a floor, Skye realizes that they’re heading for the main shuttle bay.

Skye resists the temptation to ask what’s happening, though she wonders if this a test. Maybe she’s supposed to exhibit more curiosity.

The lift stops, and she follows May to the shuttle bay, watching as the people working stop to salute the Commander as she passes. May stops in front of the bay for a small transport shuttle and types the in the code to open the airlock.

The door opens, and May gestures to Skye to enter the shuttle. Skye does and sits in the copilot seat, watching as May sits in the pilot chair and begins the safety checks and takeoff sequence. Before long, they’re flying through the bay doors.

Skye’s been in space before. It’s part of the novitiate tests to learn to pilot, and everyone grows up with crisis drill practice evacuations. But she still finds wonder in every trip she takes.

“This is amazing,” Skye says when, after a while, May maneuvers the ship so they’re facing back the way they came.

“It is,” May says, and Skye sees the commander’s small grin out of the corner of her eye.

“Tell me about your interest in data analysis,” May says.

“I love uncovering patterns that aren’t readily apparent,” Skye says. “Making connections. Finding the order in chaos and the chaos in order.”

“I realize this must be strange for you,” May says, “but there’s a reason I asked you to meet with me and a reason why we’ve taken this trip. What you see before you is a view very few people get to experience first hand. It’s unsafe for most pilots to stray from the main convoy, but I wanted you to see the whole of it—the whole of who we are.”

Skye looks out at the ships that comprise her home and the homes of her people. It is a risk. They could easily stray outside of the warp envelope surround the ships. If that were to happen, she and the commander would be lost in the waste of space with no hope of rescue. It’s worth it, though. She has spent her life as a citizen of The Hub, the largest of the ships and the center of their society. She knows all about the constellation of smaller ships surrounding The Hub, each home to different industries and providing redundancies to the interconnected ecosystem of The Hub, but she’s never seen most of them as anything other than images. The perspective is a revelation.

“My mother’s mother was one of the first generation to have been born wholly on the ships. Like you, what you see before you is everything I’ve known. That is about to change. I, like my mother and her mother before her, have dedicated my life to the safety and prosperity of our home. But I was always raised to remember that we are on a journey.”

“Of course,” Skye says. From early childhood, they were all taught that they’re a part of the first group of humans to attempt travel to a planet outside of their home solar system.

“That journey will be ending soon. I will likely not see it, and you will be older than I am now when it’s scheduled to happen, but yours is the generation who will see us arrive at Providence. You will see your namesake—a sky on a planet—something I’ve never seen and never will”

Skye is speechless at the thought. The journey’s timeline is a closely kept secret.

“There are many in the leadership who have been watching you. You have a great deal of potential, and your novitiate tests have shown strong aptitude in a number of areas. Your interest in data analysis is good, and I would encourage you to pursue it. But those who enter our leadership structure don’t have the luxury of specialization. We have to develop skills in a number of areas and understand how to work across disciplines. If you would prefer to specialize, you still have that option. But if you’re willing, I’m offering you an apprenticeship to train directly with me with the goal of training others for landfall.”

“I’m willing,” Skye says without hesitation.

“There’s a lot more you need to know, and you do not have to give a final answer now. But I wanted you to understand the scope of what you’d be undertaking before presenting you with the rest of the information.”

Commander May is right—there is a lot more Skye needs to know before making such a profound decision. But if she’s honest with herself, she knows it’s not something she could ever turn down.

“As I said, you do not have to make a decision now,” May says. “We do, however, have to return to The Hub. Would you like to pilot us back?”

Skye smiles, nods, and places her hands on the controls.

***

The lights fade, and Skye knows that this time, the machine has been turned off. She no longer has a sense of something connected to her brain. She steps off of the platform, then sinks to the ground, trembling.

Jemma rushes over to her. “You’re free,” she says as she joins Skye on the floor by the panel.

“You turned it off,” Skye says, voice shaking with relief.

“We turned it off,” Jemma says, pulling Skye into a hug. “We got you back.”


End file.
